The Outsiders (Novel)
'' ''The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel by Susan Eloise Hinton, first published in 1967 by Viking Press. S.E. Hinton was 15 when she began writing the novel,1 and 16 when it was published. It is based on one of her friend's experiences. The book follows two rival groups, the Greasers and the Socs (pronounced by the author as "so-shez", short for Socials), who are divided by their socioeconomic status. A film version was produced in 1983, and a short-lived television series appeared in 1989, picking up the story where the movie left off. Plot summary 14-year-old protagonist Ponyboy Curtis and his brothers Sodapop and Darrel belong to a gang of lower-class youths called Greasers, in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1966. Many of them have lead hard lives and are tough, angry and unforgiving against others besides their own gang. They often get into fight with the Socs, the antagonists, a group of wealthy, privileged boys who beat greasers up for fun. In the beggining of the novel, Ponyboy is leaving a movie theater when suddenly, he is jumped by a group of Socs. He is saved from the Socs by his friends and brothers, Darrel and Sodapop. After, Ponyboy and Johnny are invited by Dallas to see a movie at the Nightly Double. The next night, Dallas, Johnny, and Ponyboy head to the Nightly Double where they meet two Soc girls, Sherri "Cherry" Valance and Marcia. Ponyboy then realizes that Cherry is nothing like the Socs he has met before--she tells Ponyboy that "things are rough all over", indicating that the rich kids have problems of their own. On the way home, Cherry and Marcia's boyfriends, Bob Sheldon and Randy Adderson, see them with Johnny, Two-Bit, and Ponyboy on the streets and think the boys are trying to "pick them up". Johnny notices that Bob is wearing rings, and had beaten him up before. Cherry and Marcia prevent a fight by leaving with Bob and Randy willingly. When Ponyboy arrives home after falling asleep in the empty lot by a campfire with Johnny, Darry gets very angry at Ponyboy for being so late. For the first time, Darry hits Ponyboy, and Pony runs out in both fury and confusion. He runs to the empty lot where Johnny is, and the two go on a walk and head to the park. Darry didn't mean to hit Ponyboy,he was just scared that something happened to Pony. Here is what Darry meant. When he yelled "Pony,where have to been all this time?" He meant "Pony,you scared me to death. Please be careful because I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you'. At the park, a drunken Bob, Randy and three other Socs confront Ponyboy and Johnny for "trying to pick up their girls". They chase Pony and Johnny, and catch Ponyboy. He is nearly drowned in a fountain by David, another Soc, and a terrified Johnny stabs Bob, accidentally killing him and scaring away the other Socs. Ponyboy recovers from being nearly drowned, and the two head to find Dally. Dally decides to help them and gives them $50, a loaded gun, and tells them to hide in an abandoned church a short distance out of town in Windrixville on Jay Mountain. They stay there for a few days, during which time Ponyboy reads Gone with the Wind to Johnny and recites the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost. The two's friendship strengthens gradually. Later, Dally comes to find them, and reveals that Cherry has become a spy for the greasers and that there will be a big rumble between the Socs and the greasers over Bob's death. Johnny decides that he wants to turn himself in, saying that it wasn't fair to Ponyboy to have to hide out while his brothers are worried about him. When the boys head back to the church, they notice it has caught on fire and find that about four or five school-aged children are trapped inside. Johnny and Ponyboy rush to rescue them, but a large piece of burning wood falls on Johnny and breaks his back. Dally rescues Johnny from the burning church, burning his own arm along the way. Ponyboy spends a short time in an ambulance, but is fine as Dallas' jacket saved him from being severely burned,Ponyboy had one injury,he hurt his arm.When his brothers arrive to see him, Darry breaks down and cries. Ponyboy then realizes that Darry cares about him, and is only hard on Ponyboy because he wants him to have a good future.He is brought home by his brothers and falls asleep in Darry's arms. Ponyboy is so happy to be home.He had forgotten what a soft bed really feels like. Darry and Soda can sleep better,knowing that Ponyboy is back home,safe and sound. While Pony was gone, Soda or Darry didn't get much sleep because they were devasted and thought Ponyboy was hurt or captured by a group of Socs. Darry cried for the first time because he was so scared and he thought Ponyboy was gonna die,but none of that was true. It had all just been a bad dream. Johnny was smart when he chose to turn himself in,since he knew it wasn't fair for Darry and Soda worrying about Ponyboy all the time. Darry is strong,but what can make him scared is losing Ponyboy or Sodapop. While Ponyboy is preparing breakfast at home, Two-Bit and Steve show up and inform him that Johnny, Dallas, and Ponyboy have been declared heroes for rescuing the kids, but that Johnny will be charged with manslaughter for Bob's death. They remind him that, the greasers and Socs have agreed to settle their turf war with a major rumble in the vacant lot. When Ponyboy and Two-Bit visit Johnny and Dally in the hospital, they find Johnny in bad condition with multiple burns and a broken back. Two-Bit gives Johnny a new copy of Gone With the Wind. Dally is recovering well and insists on going to the rumble. The next evening, the greasers win the fight against the Socs, with Dallas arriving just before it began. After the rumble, Dally and Ponyboy visit Johnny again, where he dies in front of their eyes. Dally is overwhelmed and runs out of the hospital. Soon after, Darry and the others get a phone call from Dally, who has robbed a grocery store. The boys run out to find him, but the police are chasing him. Dally pulls out an unloaded gun that he only used as a bluff, but not knowing this, the police shoot him. The boys realize that Dally couldn't bear to live without Johnny. Ponyboy faints and stays sick and delirious for nearly a week. While he is recovering at home, he convinces himself that Johnny is not dead and that he is the one who killed Bob. At the court hearing, Ponyboy is declared not guilty and is allowed to stay with Darry and Sodapop forever. The three Curtis brothers are overjoyed that they can stay together as a family. When Ponyboy goes back to school, his grades drop dramatically. He begins to run into things and forget things. Although he is failing English, his teacher says he will pass him if he writes a decent theme. Ponyboy reads the copy of Gone with the Wind that Johnny gave to him before dying. That night,Darry and Ponyboy have their fourth fight in one week. When Ponyboy says Soda's name, Sodapop gets angry and runs out of the house and heads to the park. Darry and Ponyboy go after him. Soda expressed his feelings and starting crying and told his brothers that he couldn't stand to hear them fight. Soda said that they are they were all they had left,and if they didn't have each other,and they might end up like Dallas,well,not dead,but how he was before. In between the pages, he finds a note from Johnny describing how he will die proudly after saving the kids from the fire. Johnny also urges Ponyboy to "stay gold", by which he means to stay the way he is and follow his dreams and goals. With this in mind, Ponyboy decides to write his English assignment about everything that has happened since the beginning of the book, and it is hinted that the novel itself is Ponyboy's English assignment. He begins it with the same sentence that began the book — "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home ..." Characters Ponyboy Curtis is a shy and quiet 14 year old boy, who gets good grades, likes to draw, and likes read and write. Ponyboy narrates the entire story in past tense, and the last words of both Johnny Cade and Dallas Winston were to him, or reffered to him. He is the narrator. Sodapop (Soda) Curtis, the middle brother, is very handsome and likable to others He dropped out of school and works full time at a DX gas station to help pay bills. He is described as being wild and reckless, and was apparently failing all of his classes except for auto mechanics and gym. Darrel (Darry) Curtis, the eldest of the three brothers, has taken care of his brothers ever since their parents died in a automobile accident. He is serious, spends most of the day working, and often scolds Ponyboy. Darry, called by his brothers and friends, is athletic and was a good student, but he had to give up his college education to care for his brothers so that they may stay together as a family. Dallas (Dally) Winston is the toughest and meanest of the group of greasers, having grown up on the streets of New York City for three years. He seems to enjoy being a delinquent and enjoys breaking the law. Dallas didn't seem to love anyone except for his friend Johnny Cade. Johnny Cade is the quietest of all the boys. He was jumped by a group of socs, scarring him emotionally and physically. Johnny is described as being understanding, and is abused by his parents both verbally and physically. Keith (Two-Bit) Mathews is the joker of the boys, often making jokes out of many situations. He is a fan of Mickey Mouse, and enjoys drinking beer while eating chocolate cake. Steve Randle is the best friend of Sodapop Curtis. He is described as being a bit hateful, reffering to Ponyboy as a "tagalong and a kid". Steve is talented with cars, and works part-time at the same DX station that Sodapop does. References 1. ^ Hinton, S. E. (2005) 1977. "speaking with S. E. Hinton... page 162". The Outsiders. Speak/Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0-14-038572-X. Category:Deaths Category:Characters Category:Dallas Winston's things